Network device and method for powering a media access controller

A method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of packets at a physical layer device, wherein the plurality of packets comprise a first packet and a second packet, and wherein the physical layer device comprises a first interface that is connected to a second interface of a media access controller;
• in response to the physical layer device receiving the first packet, (i) generating a power signal via the physical layer device, (ii) transitioning at least one of the first interface and the second interface from being powered OFF to being powered ON, and (iii) outputting the power signal to the media access controller;
• in response to the media access controller receiving the power signal, (i) transitioning the media access controller from being powered OFF to being powered ON, and (ii) subsequent to being powered ON, receiving, at the media access controller, the second packet from the physical layer device via the first interface and the second interface;
• in response to the second packet, transmitting via a serializer a serial stream of data in the second packet from the physical layer device to the media access controller,
• wherein the first interface of the physical layer device comprises the serializer;
• and
• deserializing the data of the second packet via a deserializer,
• wherein the second interface of the media access controller comprises the deserializer.

A network device comprising:

• a physical layer device comprising a core and a first interface, the first interface of the physical layer device comprising a first serializer, wherein the physical layer device is configured to receive a plurality of packets including a first packet and a second packet, and wherein the second packet comprises data;
• and
• a media access controller comprising a core and a second interface, the second interface of the media access controller comprising a first deserializer, wherein the second interface of the media access controller is connected to the first interface of the physical layer device, wherein the physical layer device is configured to, in response to receiving the first packet, (i) generate a power signal, (ii) transition at least one of the first interface and the second interface from being powered OFF to being powered ON, and (iii) output the power signal to the media access controller, the media access controller is configured to (i) receive the power signal, (ii) in response to receiving the power signal, transition from being powered OFF to being powered ON, and (iii) subsequent to being powered ON, receive the second packet from the physical layer device via the first interface and the second interface, the first deserializer is configured to deserialize the data of the second packet;
• and the first serializer is configured to, in response to the second packet, transmit a serial stream of the data of the second packet from the physical layer device to the media access controller.